My Beloved Hrafn
by mountainbird0507
Summary: Prince Loki of Asgard and Princess Raven Amethyst of Vanaheim have been friends for centuries, forming a strong loyal friendship from youth. However, just as those feelings towards each other becomes something more, their bond is put to the ultimate test when Loki falls down the path of darkness. Is her unconditional love strong enough to save him or will she fall into the abyss?
1. A New Friend

Chapter 1: A New Friend

The early morning sunlight finally begins to creep into my room, but I was already awake by the break of dawn, reading a book by the candle light. I did get some sleep last night, but it was difficult. I was overcome with excitement of what will transpire today. For the first time in my eight years of life, my little brother Garrett and I will travel to another realm: to Asgard. My mother, Queen Diante is good friends with Queen Frigga, so it will be a casual social visit. Alas, my father King Andros must stay home today for monarchal duties. I've read so much about the other eight realms, Asgard especially. To finally see the place for myself, I can barely hold still and stay on the ground while my lady in waiting Skylar is helping me get ready.

"My Princess, I understand you are excited, but could you please stop floating for a few minutes? I am almost done with your dress and then you must wear your royal jewelry regale to make a first good impression on the Asgard royal family."

I giggle and then concentrate on descending. I lift my arms and be still for her to finish.

"Sorry Skylar, I just cannot help it! I feel like I'm just about to explode with excitement and curiosity. Mother says we will be staying all day and be back by suppertime. I can't wait to see the city, the palace, and the royal family. I wonder if it is just as magnificent as it was described in the books."

"I'm sure it is My Princess. There we go all done!"

I look in the three-way mirror and see myself wearing a lilac dress with frills on the end and white lace on the sleeves and neckline. The dress compliments my lavender eyes and my tan skin tone. In my short dark brown curly hair, I wear my favorite silver circlet tiara with an amethyst stone in the middle. On my feet, I wear purple strapped sandals with diamonds and silver anklets that clink a little when I walk. I think it is a beautiful sound.

"Beautiful as always: inside and out," I say with pride. I give Skylar a big thank you hug. She may be a maid, but I treat her as a person on equal footing.

"Thank you, Skylar for helping me get ready. I shall see you tonight when I return from my visit to Asgard."

"Goodbye my Princess! Have fun!"

I exit my chambers and walk down the hall to the dining quarters. On my way, I run into my brother Garrett. He's all dressed in his formal but comfortable attire of orange and brown with golden highlights throughout his outfit. He looks just as excited as me, his brown eyes full of mirth and energy.

"Morning sister! Are you excited to go to Asgard too?"

"Yes dear little brother. Come, let's go to breakfast."

After a hearty breakfast, Mother, Garrett and I travel to the outskirts of our city, waving and smiling to our people as we walk by and they bow in respect. In a clearing, Mother holds us close, looks up to the sky and says loudly," Heimdall, take us to Asgard!"

A bright light descends upon us and we are taken upward at a fast pace. I'm not scared, but I cling to Mother tightly as there is a rush of heat and light surrounding us. Finally, the three of us land in a golden circular room. In the middle, there is a golden platform where I presume the man, the Gatekeeper called Heimdall stood in his full golden armor. He has dark brown skin, a black beard and moustache, and amber eyes. He looks quite serious but upon gazing at us, his face grows warm.

"Greetings Queen Diante. Welcome back to Asgard. And you two must be Princess Raven Amethyst and Prince Garrett Kole of Vanaheim." He bows low to us.

We look at him amazed. "How do you know our names?"

He chuckles. "Heimdall sees across the nine realms. Nothing escapes my sight. Please enjoy your stay at Asgard." He points to the Bifrost bridge that leads to the gigantic golden Asgard gate. I stare in awe at the glass bridge that is in array of rainbow colors and how the water falls into the nebulous of space that shines bright with stars and star clouds.

"Oh Mother, it is beautiful!" I say in delight.

She laughs. "Wait untill you see the city. Come along my children."

"Come brother! I will race you to the gate." I start to run ahead.

"Haha! You know I'll beat you dear sister! I always do." And he runs after me. What he said is true. Despite him being two year younger than me, he is one of the fastest and strongest Vanir in Vanaheim. Most Vanir children don't start to show their superior strength and agility until eighteen years of age. Mother said we were always special children. Probably all mothers say that about their children, but with us, what she said is true given the condition of my birth and Garrett's early strength and speed.

True to his word, he speeds ahead of me, but I just laugh and float the rest of the way there, having a good time. When we reach the gate, Mother materializes in front of us. She shakes her head at us, but there is no scold in her eyes, only merry.

"Now children, I do want you to enjoy your first visit to Asgard, but please be on your best behavior. Until we face the royal family, stay close by me. You don't know the city or palace as well as I and I don't want you to get lost."

"Yes Mother, we understand," we say respectfully.

"And Raven Amethyst darling, try not to float so much. It might startle some of the locals. Unfortunately, not all Asgardians are familiar with magic like our people are back home."

"Of course, Mother. You are right." I take a deep breath and focus my energies. My feet finally touch the ground. I tend to use the air in excess whenever I am happy or overly excited. I still feel that, but it is subdued.

After much walking and taking in the scenery of the mountains and the buildings built from them, we finally reach the castle gate where there are two guards. At first, they are suspicious, but recognize my Mother and bow to her.

"Queen Diante. Welcome back to Asgard. The royal family have been expecting you."

They open the gate and two more guards escort us to the throne room where Queen Frigga sits. The look on her face is pure delight when she sees my mother, who mirrors her expression.

"Diante my dear! It is so good to see you again." They hug each other tightly.

"To you as well Frigga."

"How is your husband?"

"He is quite well. He apologizes for not coming this time. Unfortunately, he had kingly business to attend to back home. He promises to come next time."

"Make sure to tell him that I understand. Speaking from personal experiences, I know what it is like to have a husband who is always busy with royal duties."

She finally glances down at us and a big smile grows on her face.

"At last, I finally get to meet your children."

Just as we practiced, I gather my skirts and give a curtsey. "Princess Raven Amethyst of Vanaheim."

"Prince Garrett Kole of Vanaheim," he bows low.

"It is an honor to meet you All Mother," we say in unison.

"Such good manners! It is wonderful to meet you two as well. Your Mother loves talking about you. I've heard nothing but the best. My children would love to meet you."

As if on cue, the main doors open, and three people walk in, the All Father and two princes. The princes are around our age. One of them has blond hair and blue eyes, a well-rounded face, wearing a dark blue and red vest with a lighter undershirt. The other boy caught my eye instantly. His black hair complimented well with his pale skin. He had green eyes that reminded me of jade and it matched his green Asgardian attire. They walk up to us and the All Father gives us a big smile and bows.

"Queen Diante. Welcome back to our home. I see that you brought your children with you this time."

"Yes, All Father. It's their first time visiting another realm. Allow me to introduce my firstborn, Princess Raven Amethyst and my second born, Prince Garrett Kole of Vanaheim."

"Enchanted to meet you," I curtsey.

"We thank you for your welcome and hospitality," Garrett bows.

The All Father is impressed with our greetings.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well. Please allow me to introduce my sons. This is Thor, my firstborn" he places a hand on the blond boy shoulders and looks at him with pride. He places his other hand on the raven-haired boy. He smiles at him as well, but the grand look of pride was diminished slightly. I also saw the way this boy looked at Thor and the color of his energy shifted slightly. I found it curious but kept my face neutral and friendly.

"And this is my second-born, Loki."

Thor and Loki bowed to us.

"Welcome to Asgard! We hope you enjoy your stay!" Thor says enthusiastically. Loki only gives a friendly nod. Loki seems to be a quiet one. I don't mind though. Often the quiet ones have a lot to say.

"Many thanks Prince Thor and Loki!" I say with equal enthusiasm. "I'm sure we'll become great friends! Garrett and I have been so excited to come! Your home is amazing!"

"Have you seen much of the palace?" Thor asks.

"Not much," Garrett answers.

Queen Frigga gently intervenes. "My sons, why don't you show our young guests the palace while me and Queen Diante get reacquainted in the gardens?"

"Yes, Mother." They say, and they beckon us to follow.

The next hour is spent of Thor and Loki showing us around their home. Their palace is humungous with many long hallways and many kinds of rooms. There is also friendly conversation between us. Well, mostly between Thor and Garrett. Despite Garrett being much younger than Thor, they were able to connect, given how they are both boys who loved physical play and tales of daring adventures. I was mostly quiet, taking in the breathtaking beauty of the palace; admiring it. It was like my home but different as well. The Asgardian palace was made of polished stone and gold. Our castle was largely polished wood and marble, and while it did not shine like Asgardian gold, my home still had extravagant patterns that lined the hallways, columns, and doors. I've always admired our Vanir patterns.

Occasionally, I see Loki staring at me intensely, but whenever I make eye contact with him, he quickly looks away.

I just give a soft smile and say, "It's my eyes isn't it?"

"I'm sorry," he says. It's the first time I've heard him speak. He has a soft-spoken, well-mannered voice. Slightly different from Thor's, but I like it. "I know it's impolite to stare. I just couldn't help it. I've never seen anyone with purple eyes before. They're very pretty. It sorts of reminds me of the flowers in my Mother's garden." He stops suddenly and looks away again. He looks slightly embarrassed, judging by the slight pink in his cheeks.

"That is very kind of you to say," I reply. He looks back at me, surprised. "It's alright. I've grown use to the stares. I love my eyes and that's all that matters. I like your eyes as well. It's a nice shade of green."

Loki blinks in surprise but gives me a soft smile. "Thank you, Princess Raven Amethyst."

"You're very welcome, my Prince. But you can call me Rae-Rae. All of my friends do."

His look of surprise grows even more. I tilt my head in curiosity. I'm already starting to like him, but his shocked demeanor is puzzling me a bit. Does he not interact much with others that are not family?

I'm interrupted by my thoughts when I hear a snicker coming from my little brother.

"Dear older sister, are you already flirting with a Prince? You've only just met."

Garrett's chuckle grows as he sees my flushed face. Thor is laughing too as he sees his brother growing red in the face. I can see Loki's hand glow in magic, but I beat him to it. With my glowing purple hands, I send a strong wave of air at Thor and Garrett, blowing them several feet backwards. They simply get up laughing and Thor leads my brother to the castle grounds. The purple glow fades from my hands.

"Sometimes, my dear little brother does not know when to quit with his teasing." My annoyance quickly fades when I turn to look at Loki and see excitement and pure joy written all over his face.

"You can do magic as well?" This is the most animated and excited I've seen from him so far. I like it.

"Of course! All Vanir can perform magic. I've practiced and mastered so much so far, but I still have a lot to learn. Garrett has magic too, but he's not as skilled as me. Out of the two, I'm more proficient. He's more hands on when it comes to learning. I prefer the book method. I spent most of my time reading books about magic in our family's library."

The smile on his face grows wider. "Me too! Mother's been teaching me. We spent a lot of time in the library as well, reading and practicing magic. Would you like to see our library?" His face grows slightly wary, as if afraid of my answer. Does he think I'll say no?! Perish the thought!

I just grab his hand, that felt cool to the touch, but pleasant. He was surprised again but didn't make a move to let my hand go. "Show me the way," I say eagerly.

His full smile comes back. He holds my hand a little tighter and we run to the library, me giggling in joy the entire way. We finally reach a set of tall golden doors. Loki pushes it open and shows me inside. I couldn't help but let out an audible gasp. It's the biggest library I've ever seen, even bigger than the one we have in Vanaheim. The book shelfs are incredibly tall, at least eight feet taller than me and Loki combined. There are many tables, chairs, and luxury couches by a large fireplace for people to sit in and enjoy an engaging tome. There are tall glass windows that led to a large balcony that hold some outdoor chairs and a small water pond.

This time, I can't obtain my excitement as I see so many books to be read. I wonder if this library has books that mine doesn't have. I let out an excited squeal as I levitate high into the air and fly to various books shelf, examining many sections.

"This is amazing! Your library is humungous! You are incredibly lucky Loki to have access to so many magical books. Oh! Here's one that my library doesn't have." I picked a book titled "How to Master Illusion Magic" by Yolg Jefson. I descended to the ground. Loki stares at me in awe.

"You can fly?"

"Sort of," I shrug. "I'm mostly using the air element to help me elevate from the ground. Although, it's sometimes involuntary. I'm mostly experienced in elemental magic; my whole family has it. Mother says I have vast potential, but I'm still learning to control it all. Air and water come easily to me, but fire and earth is much harder. For my brother, it is vice versa. Sometimes, my powers get a little out of hand when I'm emotional, like what you just saw. I tend to 'fly' when I'm really excited or happy about something."

"That is incredible! We don't have many sorcerers in Asgard that do elemental magic and even then, it's mostly a single element. I just recently discovered that I can manipulate water, but I'm not very good." He glances at the book cover and smirks.

"I've read that to the point of memorization. As of now, Mother's been teaching me her Illusion magic. I've gotten pretty good if I do say so myself," he says with pride.

I laugh at his overzealous pride. I decided to goad him. "Oh really? Show me."

His confidence only grew. He closes his eyes and concentrates. The whole room starts to shimmer in green as it transforms into a different place. We are now in a patch of woods where sunlight is streaming in through the treetops. The grass beneath my feet looks just as green as the leaves and there are daisies blooming. I also hear birds tweeting and see ladybugs fly by me. The illusion looks so corporal, almost as if I could touch it. But I knew if I tried to pluck a daisy the vision would fade.

"This is amazing Loki! I wish I could do illusions like you. I don't even know if I can. I'm certain that we do not have much books about illusion magic in my library."

As his illusion begins to fade back into the library, he says, "Alright then, let's make a deal. I can teach you all I know about casting illusions and you help me with water elemental magic. You can even borrow that book if you would like. Deal?" he sticks out his hand to shake.

I eagerly shake his hand. "Deal! This is so exciting! We can learn magic together! It's always fun learning magic with a friend." I beam up at him. He is taller than me by six inches. He looks at me startled, but then a little suspicious. I decided then to read his energy a little more closely.

"We've only just met, and you already consider me a friend? Why would you want to be friends with someone like me? I hope you realize that I'm not like my brother Thor." He ended his sentence with bitter taste and slight resentment. Then he catches my eye and looks confused.

"Why are your eyes glowing purple?"

"You're jealous of your brother, aren't you? And I take it you don't have many friends and mostly prefer to be alone?"

Loki gasps in shock and is momentarily speechless. "W-Wha-What…Did you just read my mind?" he demanded. He looks slightly upset that I've read him so clearly, but I can understand that.

I answer him calmly. "Not exactly. Elemental magic is not the only thing that I can do. I'm able to read people's energies, or auras as it were. Auras come in many different colors and they can tell me not only the personality of someone, but their emotions as well. I've been practicing reading auras ever since I was five. Your aura is predominately blue and that means you're highly intelligent and intuitive; generally, a peacemaker and have a level head. However, I've noticed that sometimes there would be spots of dark green in your aura whenever mentioning Thor or how you looked at him earlier; a sign of jealousy. Also, on the topic of friendship, I saw spots of dark blue, indicating loneliness."

Loki's face darkens slightly and turned his back on me.

"I understand that being read like that can be a little unnerving. But please don't fear any judgment from me." I place a hand on his shoulder. He turns slightly but doesn't look at me fully yet.

"To answer your second question, the answer is not that complex. I want to be your friend because I like you. And even though I know we only just met, I'm able to be a good judge of character and I like what I see. I see this as a start of a wonderful friendship.

"As much as I was excited to come here for the first time, I'll admit, I was a little nervous about whether I would make a new friend here. The Vanir and Aseir are a little different. I come from a place that values magic and wisdom. This place is a warrior's society. I was wondering if anyone here would value books, sorcery, and pranks like me."

Loki's back straightens up and he finally looks back at me. He doesn't look glum anymore. His face is brighter and there's mischief in his eyes.

"Did you say pranks?"

"Well, ravens are known to be mischievous," I wink at him.

He chuckles and says, "What you said was true. I don't have many friends. Many children around here seem to prefer Thor over me, so it's hard to believe anyone would want to be my friend. But after finally meeting another who I can relate to and wants to be my friend, I guess it wouldn't be so bad."

"Too bad you are not from Vanaheim. You would belong splendidly."

"Then I guess I'll have to visit your realm often."

My heart felt like soaring when he said that. I placed all my concentration into not floating away in front of him over that statement. Talk about embarrassing!

"I would like that very much, Loki!"

He gave me a genuine smile and grabbed one of the books from the shelf. "Do you oppose to reading on the veranda?"

"Of course not! I would like nothing more."

We spend the next hour reading closely together on the garden balcony. To many people, this would be a boring activity. Even though we didn't converse much while reading, it still felt calming and pleasant to just read a good book next to good company on a day that had nice weather. After a while, we exited the library (the illusion book still in hand) and go down to the castle gardens, that were the biggest I've ever seen. Ahead, we see Thor and Garrett trying to cross a stream. Thor was a head, hopping from one big rock to the next to get to the other side. They haven't seen us yet. The way Thor was jumping across the stream made me giggle.

"What's so funny Rae-Rae?"

"The way Thor is getting across the stream reminds me of a frog."

Loki gets the mischievous glint back in his eyes. "Why, you are right Rae-Rae. He does."

He waves his hand and Thor transforms into a frog. Thor lets out a startled ribbit. Garrett shouts in alarm that makes him loose his balance and fall into the stream. Luckily, the stream wasn't very deep. Garrett scrambles to get to the frog and picks him up with both hands.

"Thor? Is that you?"

Loki waves his hand again and Thor transforms back into himself. The sudden retransformation and Thor kind of standing on top of Garrett, they loose balance and fall into the stream again. Loki and I couldn't help but laugh. When they finally get up, they notice us laughing at our misfortune.

"Loki! Not again!" Thor grumbles.

"That was you, Loki?" Garrett asks, almost amazed. "That was impressive!"

"Thanks, Garrett." Loki beams at him, very proud of himself. Thor still looks unhappy with being a victim to Loki's prank.

"Well, I'm not impressed. I'm soaking wet!"

"Let me help then," I offer. With a lift of my hand, all the water drops are lifted from their clothes and skin and form a big water orb in the air.

Thor stares at me with slight suspicion. "You can do tricks too?"

I stare at him with contempt. " 'Thank you so much for drying me off, Raven.' 'No problem at all Thor'", I say sarcastically. "It's called magic, Thor. They're not just tricks. If you don't want my help, I can just dump the water back on you." I start to slowly drop my hand. Thor frantically waves his hand. "No no no! I'm sorry! They're not tricks! Thank you for the help!"

I smile at him. "Much better!" I lower the water back into the stream.

"You should have seen your faces! They were hilarious!" says Loki chuckling. I laugh along with him. Even Garrett smiles and laughs. Thor still doesn't laugh.

"Come on, Thor!" I lightly punch him in the arm. "You got to learn to laugh at yourself a little. We live for thousands of years. Why not have a little fun? One day, you'll look back and laugh about this."

He ruefully gives a smile. "Maybe."

We spend most of the day playing and by the time it was late evening, we had to depart on the Rainbow bridge. I was reluctant to go. I had such a wonderful time with Thor and Loki. I know we'll see each other again. It's not a permanent goodbye, but why does being away from Loki make my heart ache a little? Queen Frigga stands with her sons as they wave goodbye to us.

"Thank you for visiting Diante. Please visit again."

"I will Frigga and I hope you and the boys come visit us in Vanaheim."

"I would like nothing more."

"It was nice to meet you Raven Amethyst and Garrett," says Thor with a big smile.

"Yes, please come again," Loki says quietly.

"Of course! My sister and I had fun!" say Garrett.

'Until next time," I curtsey at them and they bow. We turn to leave but then I couldn't resist the urge to hug the boys goodbye. I hug Loki first who was for a second startled but hugs me back hesitantly.

"Goodbye for now!" I giggle and run to join my family. As I take Mother's hand, I turn and see the boys wave goodbye. Thor has a big grin plastered on his face. There's a smile on Loki's face, but I also see a touch of sadness in his green eyes. He doesn't want me to go either.

I've only known them for a single day and yet I have a strong feeling that we will be friends for an eternity.

Author's Note: I've been a member of this website for many years, but this is the first time I've ever posted a story. I'm excited to write more chapters, so please I would like to hear comments and constructive criticism as I progress. And if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Enjoy!


	2. Teaching Each Other

Chapter 2: Teaching Each Other

I've spent two weeks reading and re-reading the book Loki let me borrow. As of now, I've pretty much memorized it. Illusion magic is so fascinating. It is quite different from elemental magic, which feels the most natural to me, along with reading auras. With my magic, it feels like instinct. I can feel the energy flowing through my body and it extends past my fingertips when I will the magic to do something. For elementals like me, we simply will the magic to connect with the elements and we can control it however we please. Everybody has a different type of magic flowing through their veins, just like how everybody has a different body chemistry. To me, creating winds and moving the tides come so easy to me, but turns out that willing the magic to create a simple illusion is more complicated than I realized.

After breakfast, I spend a good hour trying to create an image of a small butterfly in the palm of my hand. Even though the book recommended to start out small and simple, it is hard! I can only form a faint outline of a butterfly. I have a strong feeling that even after a few centuries of practicing this kind of magic, I won't be as fluent with it compared to Queen Frigga or even Loki. That still won't stop me from trying. Maybe the next time I meet Loki, he can help me. We did have a deal after all. Good thing I brought out a couple books about water elemental magic that I save for my next meeting with him.

The sound of knocking on my bedroom door breaks my concentration.

"Princess," Skylar calls, "It is time to get ready for your martial art training with Master Shaolin"

"Enter," I say. Skylar comes in and goes to my walk-in closet to pick my training outfit for the day. All Vanir children start training to fight at an early age. We are not a warrior society like Asgard, but we still train in combat and how to defend ourselves. I guess the biggest difference is that Asgard focuses more on with various weapons while the Vanir uses their own bodies as a weapon.

Skylar picks out a simple training outfit with tight-fitting pants and a loose shirt dress. She helps dress me as I put on my circlet tiara. Skylar adds thin anklets to my ankles. Even though I am a princess and need to learn how to be graceful and poised within royal courts, my parents are not against me learning how to fight. I remember my father saying once that I may come across a situation in the future where I might not have a guard or a prince to protect me or come to my rescue, so he wants me to be prepared for anything. I think it's great that it's more acceptable here for girls to learn how to fight. If I were a princess of Asgard, I don't think I would be given the same chance.

Skylar escorts my brother and I to Master Shaolin's martial school that is a small temple but has large outdoor training fields. Master Shaolin prefers training his students outside where we are more connected with the elements. When we arrive, there are already quite a few students from the city around our age. I recognize Master Shaolin's son Hogun in the crowd. He's my age. I wave excitedly at him and he smiles back at me. We've been friends ever since I was four.

"Greetings Master Shaolin!" Garrett and I say while we bow to him. He bows back.

"Good morning, Your Highnesses. It is a great honor for you two to finally join my class. From what I hear from the Queen, you two are quick learners but this class will be hard work. Despite being royalty, I will not go easy on you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sensei!" we say.

"Good. You two may stand next to my son. We will begin with an introduction and then get started with basic forms."

Garrett and I stand next to Hogun while Skylar stands and watches in the far corner. Most of the time, we're not allowed to go anywhere alone. Vanaheim is a relatively safe place, but we must always must have at least one guard, or my hand maiden Skylar accompany us. I love her and I know she's just doing her duties, but hopefully when I'm older I can go off on my own more often or have Garrett by my side.

'Good to see you, Hogun," I whisper.

He whispers back, "You too Raven. After the first hour of training, I want to hear all about your trip to Asgard."

"You got it!" We then turn our attention to our teacher.

"Being Vanir, magic runs through our veins. However, to help harness our magic we must work hard to balance opposing energies within our bodies. In each of us, there is yin and yang energies, forces that oppose each other but cannot exist standing alone. You cannot have the sun without the moon. You cannot have day without night. You cannot have the good without the bad. For there to be true harmony in not only the world around us but in ourselves, we must work with our two energies as one.

"In martial arts, there are two major kinds: internal and external. Internal focuses on the use of the mind, flexibility, and the use of defense. External focuses on energy, power, and the use of offense. In Asgard, they tend to value the external side of fighting, using aggression and brute force to overwhelm their opponent. While there is value in that when one is in a fight, it is important to remember that sometimes, it is best to be flexible, change direction at a moments' notice, and that the softness of breath can be more powerful than aggression. Today, we will focus on internal martial arts that focuses on body structure, alignment, breath, and visualization. These stances that I will demonstrate will seem more meditative than combative, but these defensive stances can aid you in a confrontation. Let us begin."

For the next hour, we practice various forms of internal movements such as the commencement, the reverse reeling forearms, the brush knee push, and so on. I can see my brother doing the forms well on the first try, but I can see it on his face that it's not his favorite. He'll probably like the external movements better. He's always been so energetic. I rather like these movements that we are practicing. It's so graceful, yet practical and calming. After an hour, we take a short break.

"So, how was Asgard?" Hogun asks.

"It was amazing! We mostly spent time in the palace, but we got to meet the princes and play with them all day!" I say excitedly.

"What were they like? I think I've heard that Prince Loki does magic like their Queen."

"What you've heard is true," says Garrett, "He does illusion magic and a little bit of water magic. But he's better at illusions. Thor called it tricks though and that's annoying."

I begin to grow annoyed as well. "Oh, I hate it when people call it 'tricks. It's so insulting! Anyway, we spent pretty much the whole day in Asgard. We hope to visit them again or for them to come visit us. Mother said last night that there will be frequent back and forth visits between Vanaheim and Asgard as they build a strong alliance, so I know we will see them again."

"Excited to see your green prince again?" Garrett teases me. I stick my tongue out at him.

"Yes, but not in the way you think. He's just a friend. We just connected with our mutual love of magic and books."

"Well, sounds like you two had fun! Maybe someday I'll visit," Hogun smiles.

"Yes, I think you would like Thor very well," I say.

After our break is over, we train for another hour and then Master Shaolin calls it a day.

"Same time next week." Master Shaolin bows and we all bow back.

"Bye Hogun," we say to him as Skylar escorts us back to the castle. As we approach the throne room to tell Mother and Father how our training went, to our surprise Queen Frigga, Prince Thor and Loki are there too! My Father, who is speaking animatedly to the boys, glances up.

"My children! Welcome back!"

"Father!" we shout and race up to give him a hug.

"Where is Mother?" Garrett asks, looking around.

"She is in the gardens along with our Healers. I sent a servant to notify her of the Asgardian family arrival. Queen Frigga has come for a surprise visit this time."

"Well, I did promise Diante that I would come visit and bring my sons with me. They couldn't wait to come visit you two."

"I'm glad you came! Now it is our turn to show you our home!" I say excitedly. I grab Loki's hand and pull him along, but he keeps up. Thor and Garrett trail behind us

"When did you two arrive?" I ask.

"About an hour ago. We had no idea you and Garrett had combat training," says Loki.

"I prefer calling it martial training, but yes. We just had our first lesson today. It went well. I see you met our Father."

"Yes, Mother was getting reacquainted with King Andros, but he talked to us too. He seems serious like mine, but also personable and nice. He asked me to show him some magic and he was impressed," Loki smiles proudly but then mutters underneath his breath, "I'm glad someone is."

I raise my eyebrow at that. "What do you-"

"Sister, how about we show them the old castle ruins?" Garrett interrupts excitedly. Usually, I don't like to be interrupted, but the sound of traveling the old castle ruins by the plains sounds exciting!

"What old castle ruins?" Thor asks.

I explain, "Believe it or not, this palace is not the only one in Vanaheim. From the beginning, Vanaheim had castles and citadels that were as big as mountains and could be seen from worlds away. However, we grew tired of the warfare needed to protect them. So, we decided to return to the forests and be more connected with nature, which is why many of our people's houses are built right next to them. Garrett and I go play there all the time. It's a great place to practice earth magic. Mother sometimes worries about us going there by ourselves, she's afraid we'll run into the Rock Trolls or Ogres that hide deep in the mountains."

"I've read about them. Have you two ever ran into Rock Trolls or Ogres?" Loki asks.

"Not yet. I doubt we'll run into them today."

"Even if we do, I'll hunt the monsters down and slay them all; just as I will do with the Frost Giants when I am older," Thor says triumphantly. Loki rolls his eyes. We race outside and past our mothers in the gardens.

"Children, what in the name of the Norns are you up to?"

"We're going to the castle ruins to play," I call back.

"We'll be careful, Mother!" Garrett shouts.

"Watch out for the Rock Trolls dears," she answers back.

We run through a small trail in the forest for a while before we reach one of the main plains where the old castles are. Some are whole, and some are in crumbling shape. There are many pillars, towers, and staircases where some lead to nowhere. There is overgrown grass along the edges, vines and moss growing on the outside walls of the castles. To see the very top of the castles, you would have to crane your neck all the way back, which does feel very daunting and uncomfortable. Thor and Loki have surprised reactions on their faces as they look all the way up.

"Norns…these are huge!" Thor exclaims.

"Why do these castles look so different from yours?" Loki asks.

"Father says that we wanted to improve the design and structure of our castle," says Garrett.

"Even though these castles are for the most part whole, overtime, they will become more broken down as they age, and the rock walls will wear down," I explain.

"Or they will break down quicker the more we practice our earth magic," Garrett quips. I couldn't suppress a chuckle.

"You are right dear brother. It is a great place to practice moving rocks, creating earthquakes, and avalanches. Alas, I still struggle."

"Sister, do you think we'll find any more gemstones within the walls?"

"Maybe, we found many the last time we visited."

Thor looks slightly confused, but Loki perks up.

"Magical gemstones by any chance?" he asks.

I nod eagerly, "Yes! Many gemstones were infused within the walls and grounds to give them extra protection from enemies, physical and spiritual. That little piece of knowledge isn't widely known here anymore. Many people have forgotten that the gemstones are still here. Garrett and I came across that information months ago, around the time we were learning about the magical properties of gemstones. We came to see if the information was true and it was. We collected many gemstones, but they are hard to find."

"Yes, even when I constantly shift and move the rocks, it can take all day to find even a handful of small ones," says Garrett.

"Here's an idea: let's make it a game. Those who collect the most gemstones within two hours can keep all of them and bring them home. Those who loose has to give them up to the winners."

Thor, liking the sound of a competition, says, "Fantastic! Let's split up into two teams and we'll go our separate ways to cover more ground."

"Sounds good, Thor!" I grab Loki's hand and say, "Loki and I will go explore the staircases and towers. You and Garrett can cover the basements."

"May the best gem finder win!" shouts Garrett and all of us head into the castle closest to us. As Loki and I walk up the broken spiral staircase, I just happen to notice that we are still holding hands. Loki quickly looks down, blushes, and mumbles an apology.

"You don't interact with girls that much do you?" I ask with a giggle.

"Not entirely. It's mostly Thor and me. Sometimes, we play with Fandral, Volstagg, and Sif, but they are mostly Thor's friends, not mine. There are some girls around our age in the Asgard royal court, but I find them annoying."

"What about me? Am I annoying?" I challenge him.

"No, I find you interesting," he smirks at me.

"Good," I playfully shove him. "I find you interesting too." He laughs.

"What makes me so interesting?" I ask him, curious.

"Number one being that you love to read as much as I do. And that you are learning to fight. That is incredible!"

"Isn't it odd in Asgard for women to learn how to fight?" I ask, curious that he doesn't think me strange for learning self-combat.

"Yes, but I don't find anything wrong with it," he genuinely says.

I smile at him. "Thanks, Loki! I'm glad you think so. Even though I still must learn how to be a graceful Princess, my Father finds it important that I learn how to fight too. He always says to me that I may come across a situation where I might not have a prince or a guard to defend me, so I must learn to defend myself."

"Your Father is smart. I like how impressed he was with my magic, unlike my own." His expression sours when mentioning his Father. At this point, we've reached the very top of the tower. I sit on the edge with my feet dangling. I pat the space next to me.

"Come sit! The view is marvelous!"

With a smile, he comes and sits close to me. I fight to keep my blush down, hoping he hasn't noticed.

"You're right. It is."

"It's a great place to sit and think. Or to talk about what's on your mind?" I give him a pointed look.

"You really want to know?" he looks at me skeptically.

"Of course! We're friends, aren't we? And friends always listen and be there for each other no matter what. I want to hear what you have to say." I give him a smile and he relax a bit.

"All of my life, I've felt different. I feel like I shouldn't feel like this, but I do. I have a loving family, I'm a Prince, I always have fun with my brother, and yet I feel like I don't fit in Asgard. Everyone seems to gravitate towards Thor and not me. Why? Is it because I'm not as loud as Thor or as sociable? I try my best to be polite and kind, and yet not many children want to play with me. Even though I have Thor, it does get lonely sometimes.

"And I always get this strong feeling that Father is never happy with me. He always seems to praise Thor. I try so hard to impress him and when I finally met yours…" he trails off, not willing to continue.

"It felt good to have a father figure praise you for a change? To acknowledge your gifts?" I asked.

He only nods, refusing to look at me. I lay a gentle hand on his shoulder and he looks back at me, a combination of shock and confusion.

"I'm sure your Father loves you, Loki. All fathers love their children. He may treat you differently than Thor because you _are_ different, but there's nothing wrong with that. In Vanaheim, everyone is different, but we never treat each other less than. Just keep being yourself, and your Father will see in time what's right in front of him."

Loki's face finally breaks into a smile. "I usually don't share this much with anyone. Why do I feel like I can talk to you about anything?"

I shrug it off with a smile. "Mother says I have that affect on people. I listen with no judgment, no pretenses and help however I can. Whenever I see someone hurting in some way, I can't stand to see their pain. I see it in their faces and in their auras. And of course, I feel the need to comfort strongly if it's someone I care about."

"You actually care about me?" he asks surprised.

I gently nudge his arm. "Don't act so surprised! In time, I hope you'll see why I find you a worthy friend."

He only gives me a nod and a slight smile. "So, have you read the book I let you borrow?"

"Yes! I couldn't put it down. I've learned a lot, but I'm struggling to form a small illusion. Watch."

I put my hands together and open them, palms facing up and my hands glow purple. I try to will my magic to extend from my palm and shape the light to form a butterfly. Still, all I create is an outline. I sigh in frustration.

"Don't be hard on yourself Rae-Rae. It's impressive that you progressed this far in under two weeks and illusion magic isn't the most natural to you. I think you are putting too much pressure on yourself; therefore, trying too hard. Believe it or not, sometimes trying too hard can be just as bad as trying too little be depending on the magic itself. Here. Let me help you."

Since he is slightly taller than me, Loki can put his arms around me and his hands rest on my wrists.

"You need to relax and not concentrate too hard on forming a completely solid image. Let your magic flow freely with no tension, let it extend from your fingertips and simply will the image to appear."

I take his advice and relax my concentration. I can feel the extra buzz of energy coming from Loki's fingertips as I simply will the image to appear. With Loki's help, I finally create a small purple butterfly with green highlights on the tips of its wings. It slowly flaps its wings and then takes off into the air flying close to us. I stare at it in excitement. I look to Loki who looks back with pride.

"Excellent Rae-Rae! You finally did it!"

I couldn't help but blush.

"Well, you helped a little."

"True, but with enough practice you'll be able to do it on your own." He says as he lets go from my wrists.

"I don't know. Sometimes, I think even with centuries of practice, I won't be very fluent. I can do it, but elemental magic feels the most natural to me."

"And that's perfectly fine. Sorcerers should always hone the skills they are the most natural at. Mine is illusions, yours is elemental. However, I still would like to practice my water abilities."

"I was just thinking of that! I took out a couple books about it from our family library. When we get back to the castle, I'll give you back the book I borrowed, and you can borrow the ones I'll give you."

"Sounds fantastic!" Loki says with a grin.

Suddenly, the castle began to shake like an earthquake. There's enough momentum to make Loki and I to fall off the tower. I let out a startled shriek and Loki lets out a yelp. With quick thinking I grab his hand and I concentrate on us descending slowly and we only land on the ground with a slight thud. We scramble to get up.

"What in the Norns happened?! We were lucky that you are able to use the element of air," says Loki.

"I can feel the magical aura. It belongs to my brother. He must be using his earth shifting powers to look for the gemstones. I guess shifting basement rocks shook the whole structure."

"FINALLY! WE FOUND SOME!" I hear Garrett's distant shout. Loki and I give each other a look.

"Well Rae-Rae, as much as I like having long conversations with you, we should get back to hunting for gemstones. Thor is victorious so many times and I would hate for him to win at this one."

"Agreed!" We scramble back inside and examine the walls of the spiral staircase. Loki sends waves of his green magic to sense the presence of magical gemstones. I roam my hands on the stone walls and try to sense them too, trying to tap into my earth abilities that I've struggled with for so long. Oh please let them work this time! As we were trying to find them, I hear Loki say, "Forgive me if this sounds weird, but I was sad to see you go when you last came to visit."

I turn to him with a smile and say, "I know. I could see it on your face. I didn't want to go either. And ever since I came home, my thoughts always drifted to you and all the fun we had!"

"Me too! Is this what it's like to have a best friend? Missing them when they're not around and wishing to be with them all the time?"

I fully look at him, my left hand still touching the stone wall. It finally clicked in this moment. He said it before how lonely he could be sometimes, and I've seen it in his aura and yet now I completely realize the depth of his loneliness as I saw it swirling in the depth of his emerald eyes, along with sadness, confusion, and a glimmer of hope. Sure, he always had Thor, but outside of family, he seemed to struggle with what exactly friendship is and what that means. How can such a good, gentle soul be so lonely? It does seem unfair that those who are quiet, reserved, and shy don't get as much attention as the loud, boisterous ones. In this moment, I silently vow to myself to never leave his side and teach him what it means to have a friend for life; since I take the value of friendship seriously.

I give him a full smile and nod, "Yes, I felt the same way. I couldn't stop thinking about you either. I was counting the days when I could come visit you again."

His eyes widen in surprise and in that exact moment, I finally felt a gemstone within the wall. I concentrate and carefully shift the rocks so that it came to the wall surface and I was able to pry it off. I wipe the sweat from my forehead.

"That's the first time I've seen you use earth powers," Loki comments.

"I'm still not as good as my brother. He seems to do it with ease while I exert myself too hard. It is the most stubborn element of all the four."

Under close examination, I see what the stone is, and I smile.

"I almost can't believe it! It appears that the rulers of old were able to combine an amethyst and a black tourmaline stone into one! I've never seen anything like it!"

"How odd," Loki remarks.

"It's actually brilliant when you think about it. Amethyst stones symbolize intuition, spirituality, and purification. Black Tourmaline symbolizes protection and removes negative energy; double the protection power! There are many protection stones hidden in these walls, but this is the first time I've seen two stones combined into one."

"It is beautiful! I'd hate to give it up to Thor if we lost the bet."

I instantly thought of an idea. I take the stone and place it his hands. He looks at me in slight confusion.

"Take it. A gift from me to you. That way you will always be protected from negative thoughts of loneliness and a piece of Vanaheim to remember me by whenever we're apart."

He turns the stone thrice in his hand and gives me a big smile.

"Thank you, Rae-Rae. I shall treasure it always."

We spend the next thirty minutes trying to find more stones. When we all come together to see who the winner was, it was Thor and Garrett. Thanks to Garrett's earth magic abilities, they were able to find more stones than Loki and me. As part of the deal, we give them our remaining stones. As we walk back to our castle, I whisper to Loki, "Sorry that you lost to Thor again. I know you didn't want him to win this time."

"It's alright. Besides," he smirks as he pulls out the stone I gave him from his pocket. "I still have a treasure I get to keep." I giggle in response.

*** 2 weeks later ***

I walk through the gardens in the Asgard palace grounds, looking for Loki. I see him by the pond, reading a book. He hasn't seen me yet. This is a perfect opportunity. I levitate so he doesn't hear me walking. I float behind him and cover his eyes.

"Guess who?" I giggle.

He laughs, "Good to see you too, Rae-Rae."

"Did you read the books I let you borrow?" I ask.

"Yes, I was just finishing up this one. Is your family visiting again?"

"Yes, even my Father has come this time. Apparently, our parents are having an important meeting to 'discuss the truce between Asgard and Vanaheim and how to keep it strong for the centuries to come'; their words, not mine. Thor took Garrett to introduce him to his friends. He offered me to come along, but I said I would meet them another day. Besides, I wanted to spend time with you."

Loki blinks in surprise but then smiles, "Well I appreciate it, Rae-Rae."

"You're welcome. So, you helped me last time with casting illusions, now it's my turn to teach you water magic."

Loki stands up excitedly. "That would be wonderful!"

"Great! Now, since we are by this pond, it is a perfect place to practice. To get started, lets' sit by the edge of the pond."

I sit on the edge and take off my sandals. Loki sits next to me and takes off his boots. Both our feet and hands touch the water.

"To help master water abilities, for beginners, it helps to literally touch the water with bare hands and feet. Familiarize yourself with how the water looks, sounds, and most importantly feels as you move through the water and how it feels when you take your hand out of the water and how it drips off you.

"Water is the element of change. While earth is very stubborn, water is versatile and adaptable as it can take more than one form. Water can change direction when met with an obstacle, like a tree fallen in a stream. It is offensive and defensive at the same time. You follow?"

Loki nods.

"Now, those who are naturally gifted with water should be able to feel a connection with the water and feel the push and pull of it. As you slowly lift your hand, it helps imagining the water being lifted from the pond too, like this."

Loki copies my movements as we slowly lift our hands and stand up. A small stream of water is lifted from the pond and each of us hold a floating ball of clear liquid in our hands.

"Very good, Loki. Now, slowly move your arms from side to side and the water will move along with you. Do you feel the connection with the water?"

"Yes. Why does this feel so relaxing?"

"The body movements are for the most part slow, gentle, and graceful like a stream in summer."

We practice the basic movements for a little while. I'm very impressed. I remember Loki saying he wasn't very good, but he's a natural!

"Now, let's spread our fingers wide and from the center spread out our arms and separate the water orbs into many."

We create many little water orbs and the sunlight shines through making little rainbows.

"This is amazing!" Loki says excitedly.

"Oh, we're just getting started. How about we try turning the water to ice?"

"Umm, alright."

I gather the water drops together, freeze it and toss it in the air. It explodes into a thousand snowflakes that fall gently and instantly melt when the touch the ground. Loki looks amazed.

"Now you try. You don't have to do exactly like I did. If you can at least get your water ball to freeze instantly, that's a start."

Although, instead of freezing the water orb, Loki keeps his right hand raised as the water flows to encase his entire arm and it freezes into a long sword. Loki looks at it perplexed.

"Interesting…I tried to do as you said Rae-Rae but forming a weapon from the ice seems…natural to me. I don't know how to explain it."

"It's alright, Loki. I find it impressive! I'll try it too!"

I make a long sword out of ice too and point it at Loki with a smile.

"Prince Loki of Asgard! I challenge you to a duel!"

Loki smiles and raises his sword too. "I accept your challenge, Princess Raven Amethyst of Vanaheim!" We clash our swords and do play sword fighting for a little bit. We are so caught up in our play that we didn't hear our parents approaching.

"What is going on over here?!" Odin exclaims. Startled, we dropped our swords and they melted back into liquid. Odin looks very stern for some reason. I look at his aura and I see fear. Why is there fear? Frigga places a gentle hand on his arm to calm him down and my parents have perplexed looks on their face when they face Odin. Loki can plainly see the sternness in his Father's gaze and I see his hands tremble a bit.

"We were doing nothing wrong, Father. I swear it! W-We were…We were just," Loki's voice shakes a little.

"I was just teaching him water magic, All Father. He asked me to teach him and then we were playing ice sword fights," I intervene.

"I don't see the need for you to be so stern Odin. It was nothing to worry about; I was watching from afar. It was just harmless play," my Mother says.

"My Daughter, how very generous of you to teach your new friend magic. And you Loki have natural talent! Well done!" my Father praises. Loki slightly blushes and smiles at the compliment.

"Dear, why don't we leave them to their play? We still have much to discuss about the truce," says Frigga. Odin finally nods.

"Very well. You two carry on with your play."

"Y-Yes Father."

Queen Frigga comes to kiss Loki on his forehead. "Keep practicing, my Son," she says lovingly.

Loki finally smiles brightly, "I will, Mother. Thank you."

Our parents leave us alone as we once were. I turn to Loki and say, "I agree with my Father. You really do have natural talent with water."

"Thanks Rae-Rae and thanks for standing up for me."

"Anytime! I think I still have at least two more hours before my family and I must head back home. How about I show you my favorite thing I can do with water?"

"Alright, show me."

I let my toes touch the edge of the pond and I concentrate. I take a step _onto_ the water surface and I dance around a little; couldn't help but to show off. I still create ripples when I walk on the water, but my feet don't sink in. Loki stares at my feet, amazed.

"Can all water elementals walk on water?!"

"Yes, it's so much fun. I frequently do it all the time. I find it easy, but it does take a little concentration. It's best to do it with bare feet. Do you want to try it?" I hold out my hand in invitation. He looks slightly unsure, but eager to try it. He takes my hand and slowly steps onto the water. He takes a few steps to the center and looks back at me with a huge grin on his face.

"Unbelievable! I can walk on water! Oh, the endless ways I can trick Thor with this," he schemes with a mischievous smile. Somehow, him saying trick gives me an idea. Behind my back, I wiggle my fingers, so he doesn't see them glow purple. Behind his head, come several butterflies that flutter around his head and fly really close to his eyes. He swats them away and that is enough to break his concentration. He falls through the water but comes back up to the surface. I laugh as he mock glares me.

"I'm impressed. Your illusions are improving. But you are no match for me."

Suddenly, I feel something creep up my arm and I look down. There is a Cobra Beetle crawling on me. I usually love all kinds of creatures, insects included, but this was one bug I was frightened of the most. I shriek and try to swat it away, but I lose my balance and land in the water. Now it's Loki's turn to laugh at me. Most people would probably be mad, but not me. It's kind of funny! It was quite silly of me to fall for Loki's illusions when I just used one on him. Loki stops laughing momentarily when he sees that I'm smiling. He tilts his head in confusion.

"You're not mad?"

I look at him, confused. "No, why would I be?"

"Most people either get mad or upset when I pull pranks on them. You're the first that hasn't reacted like that."

"Remember Loki, there is no foul in a harmless prank. Besides, it is only fair. I pranked you, didn't I? So, you pranked me back. Simple karma, how I love thee. Sooner or later, you are going to realize that I'm not like most people," I say with a gentle smile. Loki reciprocates. We walk out of the water and remove the waterdrops from our clothes and place them back into the pond, leaving our clothes dry once more. We spend some more time practicing illusions and elemental magic, when I hear:

"Raven Amethyst! It's time to go dear!" I hear my Mother call. I sigh in disappointment.

"I guess, it's time for me to go home." I turn to catch up to my parents.

"WAIT!" I hear Loki shout behind me. I turn to see Loki pluck a green daylily from the garden and speak a spell to the flower. He tucks it behind my ear.

"A gift from me to you. It's enchanted; so, it would never wither. If you are ever missing me in Vanaheim, you'll always have something to remember me by."

I stare at him in shock, touched by a gift in a similar manner I bestowed to him two weeks ago.

"I shall treasure it always, Loki" I echo to him. Before my courage fails me, I give him a friendly peck goodbye on his left check and I run to my parents. I quickly look over my shoulder and see Loki standing still, eyes wide and face as red as an Idunn's apple, his hand touching his cheek. I couldn't help but laugh.

Author's note: With this chapter in particular, I tried my best to research martial arts as a whole. I'm not an expert, and I'm currently trying to teach myself tai chi. So, if you think I'm getting the information wrong or misinterpreting it, please feel free to comment and I'll learn as I go along. Also, as this story progresses I plan on writing a few more chapters that explore Loki and Raven's friendship as they grow up together and then write chapters exploring their relationship as adults.


	3. Bringing the Light

Chapter 3: Bringing the Light

"Mother, have you ever been to Midgard?" I ask her after she finishes reading me a bed time story of warriors and rock trolls. After having academic, martial, and magic lessons all day, it feels good to relax in the evening with Mother and have her read me a bed time story before I go to sleep. Mother always makes sure that I have lavender candles lite to help me sleep better. I always admire how even though she is a busy ruler, she somehow makes time for Garrett and me.

"I have visited the realm a few times in my youth, before I grew too busy with my duties as Queen. I was there before the Frost War and our civil war with the Aesir. I'd imagine them being different now. Midgardians are always changing and moving around."

"What are they like?" my curiosity growing. "Are they like us? How different are they?"

Mother smiles at my inquisitive nature. "Well, in physical appearances, we look alike. However, the Aesir and the Vanir are stronger, faster, and we can live for thousands of years. Midgardians, sometimes called humans, live very short lifespans compared to us."

"How long can they live, Mother?"

"It depends. Because they are so fragile, the threat of death is always present in their daily lives. Some die as children and some in old age. If a Midgardian is fortunate they can live for only a century."

Shocked, I sit up straight. "ONLY A HUNDRED YEARS! THAT'S TOO SHORT!"

She chuckles at my reaction, "My precious bird, please keep your voice down. You'll wake up your brother. Yes, I agree. That is awfully short."

I smile sheepishly, "Sorry, Mother. So, are we better than them because we are stronger, faster, and can live longer?"

She looks slightly troubled when I ask that, her blue eyes hold slight worry. "Well, it depends on perspective darling. The facts are that they are not as strong, fast, or durable as we are, but that doesn't make us better than them, just…different; like how we are different from the dwarves or the light elves. All the creatures that reside in the Nine Realms are different in their own ways and have their strengths and weaknesses. Yes, we live long lives, but despite what the Midgardians think, we are not immortal. We are born, we live, and we die just as they do."

"So, if Midgardians don't have any special powers, what are they good at?"

Mother pauses for a moment, thinking as she tucks a strand of brown hair from her pale face. "I think that is something even I am still trying to figure out. For weak creatures, they are amazingly complex. I think their strength is that they live their life to the fullest and make every moment count, because they know they will die soon. With that thought in mind, they value life in way we never could."

"But…I value my life."

"I know you do sweetheart, but not on the same level as a Midgardian. You'll understand what I mean when you are older."

I just thought of an exciting idea! "Can we visit Midgard sometime, Mother?"

"Maybe someday. However, I don't want you going by yourself without supervision. Traveling to Midgard too much can be dangerous. There's a reason we don't involve ourselves too much with the lives of mortals. It is forbidden."

This doesn't make sense. "Why is it dangerous? We are more powerful than they are, they can't hurt us."

"In their eyes, we are gods, but the truth is that we are not. They are not capable of accepting the fact that their world isn't the only one in the universe, so they deem us as deities for their small minds to comprehend who we are. They are not ready and maybe they never will be. So, our world and all the other realms must remain a secret from the Midgardians. If you were to ever go to Midgard, never interact with them; only observe and gather knowledge."

She pauses when she looks at my candle that is shorter now than it was when bedtime began.

"I'm afraid it is getting late my darling. As lovely as this is, it is important for you to get your rest. Tomorrow, maybe we can start your lessons on the Midgard realm. As a future Queen of Vanaheim and protector of the Nine Realms, it is important to know everything of all the worlds."

"I'm looking forward to it. Goodnight, Mother. I love you." She kisses my forehead and says, "I love you too. Sweet dreams my precious bird." She blows out the candles and leaves the room. I lay in my dark purple canopy bed with the curtains drawn, thinking about what Mother said about Midgardians. It is strange how we don't have to hide from the frost giants, the dwarves, the demons, or light elves. We've had interactions with them, good and bad, but we have a strict law to not interfere with the lives of mortals. Midgard is under our protection, and yet we can't visit Midgard openly or have Midgardians come visit us? Do we not simply bother with them because they are of lesser beings? So many questions running through my mind about Midgardians: do they really look like us? How do they live their short lives? What's the terrain like? I'm so curious that I have the urge to jump out of bed and use the Bifrost to travel to Midgard right now. But I need to try to go to sleep. Midgard won't go anywhere. After my morning lessons, I'll just go and talk to Heimdall.

After my morning lessons, I excuse myself from lunch and told my family I would be briefly visiting Loki to borrow a book. It's not an exact lie. I'll go see Loki, after I talk to Heimdall about Midgard. He watches over all the Nine Realms, he must know what Midgard is like. It is quite a chilly day so I where a white long sleeve dress with swirled lavender designs on the hem, neckline, and cuffs of my dress. My typical circlet tiara matches perfectly. Traditionally, female light elves wear these kinds of tiaras but on my third birthday, the Queen of the Light Elves gave me this same tiara as a gift and I wore it everyday ever since. It magically changed shape to fit my head as I got older. I'm still able to wear only anklets and no shoes. I usually like to go barefoot if the weather is nice and feel the earth with my feet; feel more connected with the elements.

In a clearing, I say aloud, "Heimdall! I wish to speak to you!"

One flash of light later and I am in the golden dome. As always, Heimdall stands in the center with his mighty sword. He bows when he sees me.

"Princess Raven Amethyst, good to see you again. Why do you wish to speak to me, your Highness?"

"Dearest Heimdall, I know that you are busy watching all the creatures in the Nine Realms, but I have questions I hope you can answer to."

"I'm more than willing to help your Highness. What is it that you wish to know?"

"I wish to know about Midgard. What are the people like? Where do they live? How do they live their lives?"

For the first time, he looks shocked on his usually stoic face. "Why do you wish to know so much about these weak creatures?"

"For the pursuit of knowledge of course. I'm very curious and wish to learn all that I can."

After a pause, he nods. "Very well, I will answer your questions. It would be unwise for a future protector of the Nine Realms to know so little about a world. I will tell you about Midgard, as well as show you."

He gives his sword a twist to the right and the golden dome starts to move in a circular way. It stops at one of the doors that open and instead of a blinding light that leads to one of the realms, a window into space appears and shows a big planet sphere that has a beautiful blue glow with swirling clouds and big dots of land with a greenish brown tinge.

"It's beautiful! Is this what the realm of Midgard looks like?" I ask, feeling the urge to reach out and touch the planet.

"Unlike Asgard that is a large piece of land with water falling into space, Midgard is a sphere, a large planet that is mostly made of water, with big lands called continents. There are many Midgardians living all over this world, living in different countries or islands. Not all Midgardians are the same. They are divided. Many speak different languages, have different cultures, and adapt to their surroundings well. Some live-in colder climates, some in warmer ones. They usually lead typical lives of farming, hunting, traveling, and fighting over territory. Midgardians are always at war with each other."

"Fascinating! Their world is so huge! So, do they know about us?"

"Yes, but they consider us immortal gods. They don't have the power to communicate with us or travel to our world. All the other realms know of Midgard, but Midgardians mostly remain ignorant to our existence. The truth is we are just people from another world. The humans don't quite understand fully that there are many worlds beyond their little solar system. For them, it is easier to see us as gods then aliens."

"Mother says that Midgardians are always changing. Is that true?"

"Certainly. They progress at a slow rate but give the Midgardians a thousand years or two, maybe they could be at our level. However, considering the weakness and ignorance of their race I have some doubts."

I know that the fact that we are advanced in some ways compared to the Midgardians is true, but the tone of his voice unsettles me for some reason. Does he view himself so far above the Midgardians? They might be weaker, but what if they have the potential to be better, to improve? I can't wait to start my Midgardian lessons to find out more information. For now, I'll go play with Loki before my afternoon lessons.

"Thank you for the information, Heimdall. I greatly appreciate it. Now, I must go see Loki for a bit and see if there are any magic books he will let me borrow."

His small smile slides off his face, a deep frown is in its place, his body becomes stiffer. There's a sharp shift in his aura to dark yellow, meaning fear. That captures my attention.

"What is it Heimdall? Your aura changed color upon mention of Loki."

"Is Loki the only…friend you have here in Asgard?"

I don't like his tone of voice. I immediately feel defensive for some strange reason and feel the warm electric buzz of my magic through my arms and hands. I fight it down internally to focus and respond.

"Technically, no. I consider Thor a friend. Volstagg and Fandral are alright, and I like Sif very much. Yet, I feel the closest to Loki. We have much in common."

"Be as it may, it would be wise to stay away from him and not get too close. He is not what he appears to be."

Startled, shocked, and furious, I step back from him. "Why in all the universe would you say something like that? What's the matter with being friends with Loki? He is a wonderful friend-"

"He is nothing but trouble! Mischief follows where ever he goes and people get hurt in the process. He's a bad influence on you."

"They're just pranks, childish fun. Loki means no harm. What do you mean he is not what he appears to be?"

"I wish I could say, but I am forbidden to do so."

I don't see the point of Heimdall warning me to stay away from Loki if he won't give me a full explanation as to why. Cryptic threats are always so annoying. This is all very baffling as well as infuriating. I may be a child, but I don't need him protecting me. I can judge for myself who is a good person and who isn't. "Unless you start to make sense, I refuse to listen to you talk about how horrible Loki is and how I should stay away from him. Who are you to tell me who I can or cannot be friends with? You are not my father; you can't forbid me from doing anything. I'll always be Loki's friend no matter what you say!" The air around us grows hot and swirls of fire circle around me furiously. Unfortunately, I can only seem to conjure fire when I am angry. With a stomp of my foot, my fire disperses. I turn around and walk towards the Asgardian palace; not giving the courtesy to say farewell to Heimdall. Luckily, Heimdall doesn't bother to call after me. Hopefully, after my little outburst, he won't bother me about this subject again.

After a while, I start to calm down and now focus on finding Loki, Originally, I was going to look in the palace library where he usually is when Odin's ravens come flying by, croaking at me. With an affectionate smile, I raise my arms and Huginn and Muninn land on them.

"Hello you two. It's good to see you."

"_Good to see you too, my Princess_," croaks Huginn.

"_If you are looking for the younger Prince, you won't find him in the library today_", croaks Muninn on my other arm.

That surprised me. "Really? He's usually there. Where can I find him?"

"_He will be in a small cave on the edge of one of the mountain islands. The edge of the cave touches the water_."

I purse my lips. "Interesting…Why so far from the castle?"

"_He wanted a little more privacy practicing his water abilities-_ "

"_As well as alone time. He's had a rough day_."

"How long has he been out there?"

"_5 hours_."

That's quite a long time to be alone in a day, even if it is a rough one. Alright, I need to see him. Maybe I can help cheer him up. With determination, I reply, "Lead me to him."

The two lift off from my arms and I follow them, running half of the way and then having to use levitation to fly after them. I finally see Loki standing on a pebbled beach, a dark cave behind him. He is practicing his water magic, making waves and water whips. His stance looks relaxed, but there is a pensive look on his face. When I land on the small beach, he finally notices me and breaks out in a big smile.

"Rae-Rae! How did you find me?"

"My friends helped me find you. They told me where you were" I pointed up and he sees his Father's ravens. His eyebrows rise in mild surprise.

"You can talk to Father's Ravens?"

"Yes! I know it's not a common gift. They always seek me out and croak about things. All ravens are my friends," I say as the two land on my arms. I pet each one on the head. They always love it when I give them attention.

"Fascinating! So, what brings you to Asgard?"

I lightly punch him in the arm. "To see you silly! I'm happy that you've been practicing your water abilities."

"I find it calming. I find myself practicing whenever I'm having a bad day. It helps me forget for a little while," he says as he drops to the ground to sit. I sit next to him, already feeling the magnetic pull of the water's edge, the water wetting my toes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask gently.

"I'd rather not today, if that's alright," he sounds so vulnerable as he hugs his knees to his chest. It must have been a really bad day. I can guess it is Thor and/or Odin related as it mostly is whenever Loki is upset about something.

I nod in understanding. "I won't force you. You can tell me when you feel ready. Just know that I am here for you and you can talk to me about anything."

Loki lets out a shaky breath, but his shoulders relax slightly. "I appreciate the sentiment Rae-Rae, but if you truly want to help me, I could use a distraction right now."

I give him a comforting smile. "That's fine. Well, how's this for one: have you ever been to Midgard?"

Loki's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Only a couple times with Thor and my Mother. Why do you ask?"

"Last night after Mother read me a bedtime story, we were talking about Midgard and I was asking her all kinds of questions about Midgardians. She was honest and answered all of them. I never met a Midgardian before and I have yet to visit their world. I want to see for myself what they are like. I have a strong urge to go now, but Mother thinks I should wait until I'm a little older and travel with an adult. If I try to travel the Bifrost to Midgard alone, Heimdall probably won't hesitate to tell my parents and they would punish me for going against their wishes."

Loki looks thoughtful for a moment and then says mysteriously," What if I told you there was a way to travel without using the Bifrost?"

"WHAT?!" I shout, shocked. Although my shouting caused an echo to the cave and I clasp my hands to my mouth, embarrassed.

"Oops! Sorry!" I mumble. Loki chuckles at my reaction.

"I understand why you are shocked. It's not very well known, but there are all kinds of portals hidden throughout Asgard that lead to the other realms. It takes concentration and practice to discover their locations. So far, I have only disclosed a couple. The one behind us, leads to Midgard," Loki says pointing into the darkness of the cave.

I stare into the darkness, amazed but terrified at the same time.

"Have you used this portal before?"

"A few times, yes. Why don't we go together?"

"Trust me, I really want to but what about my parents- "

"I promise we won't be gone long. Just a quick trip and then we can come back."

"Well, I'd be honored to have my first trip to Midgard be with a friend. But only for a couple hours and no more," I say sternly, pointing at his chest.

With his raised right hand, he swears, "You have my word. Follow me." He starts to walk into the darkness of the cave and I start to follow him, but the more I stare into the darkness, the memories of my yearly nightmares come back, and I get the crawling feeling on my skin and the flipping of my stomach. I can feel my legs shake in fear. Loki turns back, and concern grows in his eyes over my state. I look away embarrassed.

"Rae-Rae, what's wrong? Are you scared of the dark?"

"Something like that," I mutter.

"Would you feel better if I held your hand?" He holds out his hand to me.

I simply nod, take his hand and step closer to his side. I start to feel a little better. We walk deeper into the cave and I try my best to take even breaths. I suddenly start to feel a force pull me forward, a quick flash of rainbow light and the next thing I know, I feel grass beneath my feet instead of a stone, cave floor. We must be on Midgard now, but the strange thing is that my sight is pitch black. I wave my right hand in front of me, but I don't see it at all. I wonder if it's night time. I look up but it's still dark, no moon, no stars, nothing. Something is not right here.

The only thing that is giving me relief, is Loki's cool hand in mine and hearing him breathing.

"How odd…there is not a single source of light. Are you doing alright Rae?"

"I'm fine. Having you by my side helps, I'll admit. Why is it dark? Even if it's nighttime, there should be some sort of light, at least stars."

"I'm not sure, we should investigate." He walks forward, and I follow him. To help us see where we are going, we create balls of light in our free hands. It helps much, but I know we can't keep them up forever, it would drain our magic too much and make us weak. Now, we can see that we are in a forest with towering trees and thick brushes of leaves on the forest floor. After a while of walking through the trees, we start to see a small village by a river. I see many round houses made with sticks and tree bark with a small hole on the top. We see Midgardians, dressed in animal hides huddling together in the dark. The men, women, and children have long dark hair woven in braids although some have slightly shaved heads, tan skin like mine, brown slanted eyes and high cheekbones. I wonder where exactly we are on Midgard.

The Midgardians are startled to see our source of light, but also looked relieved in a way. When they look at us, they are curious but cautious. We may be children, but we are strangers to them and they see us performing magic and I've been told that Midgardians either don't use magic or worst of all _fear_ it.

Letting go of Loki's hand, he still follows me closely as I slowly approach the villagers.

"Hello. My name is Raven Amethyst, and this is my friend Loki. We were just passing through. Do you know why there is no light?"

They don't say anything for a while, but I remain patient. Slowly, one of the women step forward.

"Hello travelers," she says, being able to understand her through All Speak. "You speak with Sparrow Lightfeet, wife of Chief Strong Pine. The light of this world was stolen by a greedy chief from a neighboring tribe. He keeps it in a wooden box all for himself. We've all tried to reason with him, plead with him to return the light to everyone, but he will not listen. Our people are suffering. We use other senses, but we need the light back. Without it, we can't navigate with the stars, our crops can't grow, we can't hunt for meat, and it's hard to keep warm. Our children are scared and miserable."

"That's horrible! The light should be for everyone, not just one person. What do you know of this…chief?" I ask, not familiar with that ruler title.

"He has an eye for great treasure. He is greedy and loves to think he is more important than anyone, and he is a very skilled hunter."

These people should not have to suffer. Light is essential to all life. Something must be done. Without hesitation, I ask, "Where can I find him?"

She points northeast of us. "He lives in that direction. When you see a big wigwam next to a river and a circle of light surrounding his home, you have reached it. Why do you ask, Girl with Purple Eyes and Hands?"

"Because my friend and I are going to help you get that light back, so your people won't suffer anymore, so you may never shiver or starve in the dark again."

For the first time since speaking with me, she gives me a small smile. "What a kind and generous spirit you have young, mysterious one. But we have all tried to reason with him. What could you do differently?"

"Honestly, I am not sure. But I will think of something. You have my word." I start to run in the direction she pointed, Loki followed. When we were out of earshot, Loki whispered to me, "Why did you offer to help these mortals? We don't know them, and they are beneath us."

"Yes Loki, I am aware that they are mortals and we don't know them. I am helping them because it is the right thing to do. Trust me, I know what it's like to be afraid of the dark and I don't wish that on anyone, even Midgardians. If you don't want to help, fine, but don't stop me."

Loki was quiet for a few seconds as we were walking, but then relents. "Alright, as your friend I will help you."

I smile at him. "Thank you".

It's not long before we reach the place she described. We stand on the light border, still concealed by the darkness. I need to think of a plan to get the light back, but how? I can't afford any mistakes to happen; one shot only. We walk as quietly as possible to the edge of the house, barely breathing. We peak through the open window to see the chief sitting by the fire, sharpening his spears and fixing his bow and arrows. His aura was so dark and tainted that it sent shivers down my spine. I can also feel a pulse of energy coming from a wooden box that was decorated with a black bird on it. The art style of these kind of Midgardians is different from what I regularly see at home, but I kind of like it.

I turn to Loki and whisper as quietly as I could, "We need to keep the chief distracted long enough where we can get the light out. I believe the box isn't an ordinary one. He must have been able to have it enchanted. After we get the light out, we'll have to destroy the box, so he can't steal it back again."

Loki furrowed his eyebrows in thought and then he smiled. "I'll do the distracting. I'll try to keep his attention long enough, so you can go in and get the light out."

While it seems like a good plan, it could still go wrong. The chief might be able to sense when "his" light is being taken and come to try to stop me. But what other choice we have? I'm sure Loki has many illusions up his sleeve to trick and distract the chief. I'm just going to have to be quick and not waste any time.

"Alright let's do this!" I agree with determination.

Loki creeps quietly to the door. He scratches on the outside of the house, loud enough that it grabs the chief's attention. He takes his spear and marches outside. Loki is standing right in front of him, but he is cloaking himself in invisibility. Loki waves his hand and the chief's spear flies right out of his hand and lands many yards away. The chief is shocked, but then grows annoyed. He grabs his wooden club and comes after the spear, but Loki keeps moving it away with his magic. I quickly go inside the house and open the box. The whole room floods with light. I hear the chief coming back, but then I hear a hiss and a man's scream. I try to ignore the commotion outside as I try to get the light out. I try to hold it with my bare hands, but for some reason it slips through my fingers like a wet bar of soap. I look at the picture of the bird on the box and I get an idea. It seems like a weird, silly idea and it might not even work at all, but my gut is telling me to transform. I concentrate on shifting into a raven. I grow smaller as black feathers emerge on my skin, my arms into wings and my mouth into a hooked beak. I grab the light with my beak. It feels warm like tea. I fly through the window and high into the air. I can feel arrows whizzing by me, but I concentrate on going as high as I can. Then I release all the light from my beak. From this big ball of light, the stars come out and glitter the sky again. Then comes the moon to accompany the great wolves again. At last comes the sun, to nourish the trees. The stark contrast of what it used to look like before the sun was out was almost astonishing. I fly closer to land where I see many Midgardians shouting in joy and dancing with delight.

"The Sun is back!"

"We can grow our crops again!"

"We give our thanks to the Great Raven!"

Many of them are still cheering when I land on a nearby branch. With my wings spread out, I give a bow and fly off to find Loki. I eventually see him standing close to the tree trunks. He's looking at me with a huge smile on his face. As I get closer to the ground, I concentrate on transforming back. I stumble a little bit when I'm back in my old body.

"Any more surprises?" Loki teases me. I give him a big goofy grin. "So far, none. But I'm not making promises."

Loki laughs. "I wouldn't expect you to. While you were flying up into the sky, I destroyed the box, so the chief wouldn't use it again. Now without any enchanted objects to help, he will be at the mercy of his own kind."

I nod in agreement. "That sounds fair. As much as I had fun coming to Midgard for the first time with you, I feel like going home now. I'm hungry and feel a little tired. I just started practicing turning into a raven a couple weeks ago. It takes a lot of energy."

Loki nods. "Sure. I know the way back to the portal. Follow me." Without even asking, he takes my hand and leads me back to where we came from. I secretly smile to myself. After we part ways, I see Odin's two ravens fly by me. I hear them croak, "_Don't forget, Princess, it'll be your birthday soon. We will be by your side the entire day and look after you until the nightmare passes._"

I feel my heart skip a beat and an intense feeling of dread takes over; so strong that I almost vomit. Please…not again.

***Several days later***

Luckily, when Loki and I got back from Midgard, I wasn't in too much trouble with my parents. I expected Heimdall to tell them for he sees everything that goes on in all the realms. Since I didn't technically go to Midgard by myself and had someone with me, they didn't punish me harshly, but gave me a warning lecture in the future to just observe and not interfere too much with mortal lives, even if it is to help them. Father praised Loki for looking after me when we went to Midgard together. Loki is still not use to praises, so he just mumbled a thanks.

Now, it is noon and I'm in my bed chamber, attempting to read away my worries for tomorrow. I hear someone knocking on my door.

"Enter," I call out softly. Skylar comes in with Loki in tow. He has two books with him.

"Prince Loki has requested to see you," says Skylar as she bows to me.

Seeing Loki again makes me feel a little better. "Thank you, Skylar. You may go now."

Skylar leaves as Loki comes closer to my bed. "I was looking in the Asgardian library and I found more books on illusion magic that could help you master it if you wish."

I beam at him. "Thank you. I could use some new reading material. I'm trying to get my mind off tomorrow."

Loki tilts his head in confusion. "What's tomorrow?"

"My birthday."

"Your birthday? That's wonder-…Wait, you don't seem very happy about it. How come?"

"Because…I'm cursed," I answer reluctantly. Not that I don't trust my friend, I just always feel uncomfortable talking about it.

"What do you mean?" Loki asks gently as he sits on my bed, waiting patiently for me to continue.

I take a deep breath to calm down a little. "For as long as I can remember, every year on my birthday I would have this exact same nightmare, a nightmare so horrifying, so real that I would always wake up confused and in pain. My nightmare always goes like this: I'm in complete darkness. I don't know where I am and there's not a speak of light to be seen. I can't see my own hand in front of my face. I hear harsh angry whispers all around me, it sounds grating on my ears. Sometimes I feel so hot like I'm being cooked alive. And I have pains so sharp and intense it feels like I'm being stabbed a million times with daggers. The dream feels so real that when I wake up, I still feel the pain from my dream. There are no marks or bruises on my skin and yet it feels like there are."

Loki looks at me sympathetically. "That sounds awful! Now I understand why you were so afraid to go into the cave a week or so ago. How do you stand having that same nightmare year after year?"

"I don't! I don't have a choice! We've tried everything, nothing works. The curse is that strong!"

"How did you get cursed anyway?"

"Mother and Father said that when I was born, I was healthy and happy and then the next day I was sickly and dying. A magical wasting disease, they called it. My parents were baffled, the healers were baffled. On my hour of birth, they had the best healers in Vanaheim check my health and found nothing wrong. But strangely the next day, I was sick. You know it's rare for our kind to get sick even as babies. The healers did everything they could to heal me, but nothing worked. According to my Mother, I couldn't take her milk, I barely slept, and I always cried like I was in pain. Each day passed, and I grew weaker. I almost died from starvation and heart failure because I was in so much pain and my little body couldn't take it anymore."

"How did you get better?"

"On the seventh day after my birth, I was extremely close to dying. My parents were desperate. They prayed to the great Vanir Norns of Valhalla for help. Only one answered. It was Gullveig, goddess of sorcery. She was one of our most skilled magic practitioners but was also a warrior who participated in the Aesir Vanir war. She died in battle, but her spirit was able to go to Valhalla. She appeared to my parents in her preferred form, a raven. Although, it was slightly bigger than the average one according to them. Even in Valhalla, she still watched over us and saw what happened. She said that I was special and did not deserve to go so soon from this plane of existence. She used all her magical essence to bring me back from the brink of death. It was her magic that turned my eyes purple. My parents were so relieved when I was healthy again."

"Incredible! Did they find out who cursed you?"

I shake my head. "Unfortunately, no. Gullveig could tell that the curse came from one of our own people. They searched and searched but were unable to find him. It still baffles us to this day who or why this person cursed me. Gullveig was a powerful sorceress who was able to reverse the damage on my body and give me back my natural magic. But the curse was so strong that it still left lingering side effects that only appear on my birthday.

"I wish I could be like everyone else and be able to enjoy my own birthday, but for most of the day, I lie in bed waiting for the pain to go away and haunted by what I've felt in my dream."

Loki looks very concerned. "There must be something out there to help with these strange nightmares. I hate to see you suffering like this. You deserve to be happy on your birthday."

I give him a small smile. "Thanks Loki so do I. But like I've said, we've tried everything, and nothing works."

He shakes his head, stubborn. "No! I refuse to believe that. There must be something and I'm going to look for it. You shall have it by tomorrow. On that I swear it!" He gives me a quick hug and scampers off. I have no clue on what Loki is planning. It's sweet that he cares about my wellbeing, but I would not be surprised if he didn't find anything to help me. What could he possibly find that I didn't try already? I've tried potions, charms, eating magical herbs, meditating, nothing works.

As night draws nearer, like years past I try to fight off the sleep; terrified of having the dream again. But soon my body succumbs to the need of sleep. To my astonishment, I wake up feeling no pain at all! I only remember dreaming about stars swirling in the darkness, helping me to feel calm. No harsh whispers, no sweltering heat, no stabbing pains, nothing! I slowly get out of bed, still having a hard time believing that I'm not feeling achy. I take tentative steps, still no pain. I am so happy that I feel myself ascend into the air and I cheer in delight. I float out of my room, too happy to come down and look for my parents in the dining hall.

"Mother! Father! Garrett! I'm cured! My nightmares are gone!"

My parents, who usually have worried expressions on their faces on my birthday because of my nightmares melt into relief and joy. Garrett who is always worried for me on my birthday is relieved too. They pull me in for a tight hug.

"My precious bird! I'm so happy! You can finally enjoy your birthday at peace!" says Mother.

"This is a cause for celebration my dear daughter! Not only will we celebrate your day of birth but also ridding yourself of the curse forever. Guards! Spread the word!" Father orders.

"Yes, your Highness!" The three guards leave the room to spread the news all over our realm.

"Why don't you children go outside to play a little before breakfast is ready?" Father suggested.

"Yes, Father!" Garrett and I race to the door but then I realize I need to quickly change out of my sleep wear.

"I'll meet you outside, brother. I need to change first."

I rush into my room and when I pass by my three-way mirror, I finally notice something new. Around my neck is a pure white crystal with a pulsing glowing aura. I did not wear this before bed. How…

"Happy Birthday Rae. Do you like my present?" says a familiar voice at the door. I turn around to smile at Loki. "It's beautiful Loki but what is it?"

"That is a Purity Cleansing Crystal- "

"From the Light Elves?! I thought it was just a legend!" I gush.

"Most people think it is because they are so rare. It's rumored to be originated from the stars and they can only be found in Alfheim. Since they have cleansing powers and able to heal lingering side effects from powerful curses, I thought it could help you."

"As friendly as Light Elves are, getting this from them could not have been easy. How did you do it?"

"They said that for those who seek for the rare crystal must past a challenge. I used my trickery and I passed. Did you know that since these stones are so rare, they don't just give them out to anyone? They are that valuable! The challenge wasn't easy, but for you it was worth it. You'll never have to suffer from your nightmares ever again."

Loki's gesture means so much to me. To go most of my life with these nightmares, I lost hope of ever stopping them. Thanks to Loki, I can finally enjoy my birthdays and not have to be in pain all day.

_He is nothing but trouble! Mischief follows where ever he goes and people get hurt in the process. He's a bad influence on you._

I shake that thought immediately out of my head. Heimdall is wrong. There's no way Loki is a bad influence. If he's so bad as Heimdall believes him to be, then why did Loki go through so much trouble to get a rare crystal for me so that I wouldn't have to suffer anymore? Loki may be mischievous, but he does have a good heart when you get to know him.

Disclaimer: From the beginning, I always thought how interesting it would be if two different "mischief gods" got together and created chaos. Raven like Loki is a mischief god from Native American legends. I always liked how in their stories, the Raven was viewed in a more positive light where through mischief, the Raven brought something good to the world. So, Rae-Rae's and Loki's adventure in bringing the light back was loosely based on one of the Native myths. Also, I am aware that not all Native people have nature-based names or that they all look or dress the same way as they are in my story. There is diversity amongst Native people as there is in any racial group. I have great love and respect for Native culture and I fully recognize that they are human beings and that they lived here first before colonization. I thank the Haida, the Tlingit, the Zuni, the Inuit, and the Athabaskan tribes for giving me inspiration for not only this chapter but for Raven Amethyst's character. 


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